Thanks for the compliment Jim! Believe me, when you live in Hawaii after being born and raised in California, California seems like a much more beautiful State. And it is in it's own way. Anywhere you go, it's just the change that we all crave after being in our own space for too long. But I loved being born and raised in the Santa Clara Valley when it was all orchards. And hanging around in the Santa Cruz/ Montebello Mountains and going up Hiway 1 to camp out, then go skiing and backpacking in the Sierra's---Now that's living! Oh-Surfing in Santa Cruz and fishing off the wharf! How about artichokes 10 for a dollar in Castroville, those are the good ole' days.

I could go on and on from the redwoods to the trout fishing, none of the previous mentioned can be done in Hawaii.

Anyway, back to my beautiful Alembic Series II which I always dreamed of owning and the Awesome Alembic Family who has made it possible-

From what I've read I know you've been enjoying the experience Paul. How exciting, receive mode!!! That is a gorgeous bass! The figuring is BEAUTIFUL! Real nice neck lams. Incredible workmanship throughout and I'll bet you can't wait to get your hands on your bass! Breathing exercises and meditation will probably help at this point. Play it healthy! Art

As the time has almost arrived for the completion of my Custom Series II Mele Aloha I want to make a few confessions and give credit where credit is do.

I have to admit that if it hadn't been for changes that I made to my bass, Alembic would have been on the way to a record completion. But do to me making the changes that were all do to the help and information in this forum, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to build the bass of my dreams.

I have to get off of my chest a small but hopefully helpful bit of criticism that some of the options that are on my bass were not readily available on the Custom Build Section. These are things like custom inlays, custom neck design, Quilted Coco Bolo top and back wood, pistol grip, and that may be about it. But!, the good news is that because of all of you and this very helpful forum I was able to realize these things and come up with a very custom and very much more pleasing result.

Again, this is not a bad thing as by obtaining the info that you all freely gave to me in helping me and (putting up with me) I was able to 1., Build the bass of my dreams, and 2., provide the leeway for Alembic to build a truly custom instrument with the freedom to make the neccesary decisions that they already knew from their experience therefore overriding some of my suggestions.

Some of these items that you all helped me with are Bradley helping me decypher the different body styles. This lead to my decision that Michael's "Raging Bass" was the body style that I wanted which was a standard instead of Special K body type.

Susan helping me keep Koa wood in the bass which was my first choice of top wood but changed my mind after Valentino had helped me realize that Koa isn't the best sounding wood. Susan suggested the Koa laminate under the Quilted Coco Bolo by seperating it with a thin veneer of Maple. I then decided on the Maple body wood like "Michael's Custom Further" in which not only could I maintain a crispy "high's" in the sound but also a beautiful look to the bass.

I also saw some of your custom inlay work in the F to C thread and learned that I could have custom inlay work done.

The custom neck wood design was also influenced not only by Michael's Raging Bass but many other of yours.

There were many other things that you guys helped me with and you know who you are.

But my main point is that I didn't come down to the final decision until May in which if I had stuck to my original build, Alembic would have finished it.

So not only am I thanking all of you but I am thanking Mica and Susan for helping me stick with the changes as they had already cut some of my laminates out before I requested the changes as well as some other things.

I am also making a public apology to Mica and Susan for putting undo pressure on them to finsih the bass when I really didn't understand all of the things that goes into and especially a Series II detail. Thanks to Susan, she really explained to me all of the detail that goes into the bass including the amount of spray that goes on them until they will take no more. Details like letting the instrument cool down after it has been buffed out before another coat can go on.

There are many details that go into these instruments that I now understand that are the reasons that they are miles above most other instruments.

We're working hard on your bass. It's been especially temperamental in the finish department, really soaking it up. But your bass is to be rubbed out on Monday, so we're ever hopeful to get you a very Merry Christmas

paul this is when you are going to need your best patience as an experienced coco bolomite, we had a long wait while direwolf soaked up spray. mica will tell you it wss particularly nasty and ended up going back a year later as the wood soaked up finish coco can be a b----h when it comes to soaking so try to be calm= lol- it might be a while and if the weather is damp it might take longer

mine was a very daek coco which typically requires a lot of spray, i am not saying yoursa is going to have to go back. mine having to go back was a rare occurance if it makes you feel any better it took 6 months for direwolf to get redone. they will not let it go until its right, no need to start swimming east yet,

Everytime I get a little excited or anxious I go to Jim Tussing's sound bytes on myspace and just listen to his Mark King Signature-his playing is really good but the sound of that bass is so sweet also that it just keeps me in touch with the future.

Alembics are just so amazing. Each one of them. I just got done playing my Excel with Andrea Bocelli on PBS and my excel has such incredible lows and crisp clean highs for a one pick-up bass. And it is like holding my son in my arms. It's action, it's balance, the neck! God

I just can't even wait to hold this bass. I honestly don't think I'll be able to play it for a while until I read about it and just look and touch it and enjoy the smell just as I did when my Excel showed up.

I constantly go through this website's archive of instrument pictures and just drewl.

Mr. Wickersham, you are truely and Emperor. You have developed your own Kindgdom or Empire in this "Uni-verse", "One Song". You have added your own dimension to Existence. God Bless You! You are the Creator of my Bliss. Creating the one instrument that resonates with my High. This is where my Heart creates it's own drug. And you are the one person I never hear in this forum. True Humility. The highest one can achieve. And always trying to improve your perfection.

Hey, Paul! Excel's ARE pretty cool for single P/U Basses, aren't they! LOTS of tones in there. Good luck on the Gorgeous new one. It's gonna be a stunner. The QCB is outstanding! I hope ya get it for Christmas. I got my Excel "for" Christmas a couple years ago, and it did make it wonderful

Judging from those last pics your bass is going to look stunning paul. The 'claw' top horn was an inspired choice and the neck lams look superb even under the sanding dust. You're going to be one very happy guy pretty soon.

Actually I don't know about being good but I've been waiting for this bass for about 25 years. This is my dream bass to say the least. And the way they are building it, it's worth 25 years of waiting as it has that much quality in it.

I wouldn't give them any ideas if I was you! lol Congrats on a beautiful instrument. I may have to look you up and check it out in person if my wife makes good on her threat to make us all go to Hawaii next summer.

There's room for all of ya!!! We'll have an Alembic Conference of the Big Island!

Unless there's something I don't know, this bass is going to be the best bass on this Island. That's why I made sure there was Koa in it (the second layer of laminate on top).

I really wanted the top to be Koa but I just wasn't happy with the Koa tops that I had seen on previous basses plus the fact that I heard feedback from Valentino and a few others that Koa just didn't have the best sound qualities and I was getting sold on the QCBolo. So it's got the Koa and I am extremely happy with what it is turning out to look like (haven't seen a real good close up yet though) so I think the Koa looks excellent in it's placement now.

Come on over guys i'll fix you up with the best deals unless it's after about March, then you can stay free once I get the roof on my new building.